Author Archives: shutterbugjj

This will be my last post from India. I’m in Delhi now and leave for an overnight stay in the transit hotel in  Singapore tomorrow.

 The hotel I’m at now has me staying in room 007!  “Bond….. James Bond” or “Johnson…..James Johnson!” I’ve checked the closets, the bathroom and under the bed. No secret agents to be found anywhere. But if you never hear from me again, please ask my son or the queen or Obama or His Holiness if they know of  my whereabouts.

I’ve attached a time lapse sequence I shot of the boats that view the burning ghats in Varanasi. It is a 15 minute view condensed into 2 seconds.

Thank you to all of you who have followed my blog (I guess that’s what they call it). And for the kind comments. I hope you all have enjoyed following along. And for those of you who don’t know,  if you click on the photos, you get a much better image.

Any recommendations on how to improve my next blog, if there is one, would be welcomed.

Much love to you all. And may peace prevail in our lifetime.

the ghats at sunset

Varanasi (Hindustani pronunciation: [ʋaːˈraːɳəsi] ( listen)), also Benares, Banaras (Banāras [bəˈnaːrəs] ( listen)) or Kashi(Kāśī [ˈkaːʃi] ( listen)), is a city on the banks of the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres (200 mi) southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. It is holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism and Jainism. Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation.^[3] It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and the oldest inIndia.^[4]

Ganpati Guest House on the river Ganga

The Ganpati Guest House is situated on the banks of the river Ganges, or mother Ganga, as the locals call it. I have stayed here before and the owner and the staff are very pleasant and always helpful. The hotel is full 9 months of the year and 3/4 full the rest of the time.

The high water mark during the rainy season is to the top of the Ganpati (Ganesh) elephant in the photo.

my room

view from my room

Ganpati roof top restaurant

this is considered equivalent to a Harley & belongs to the owner of the Ganpati

applying pitch by hand

boat repair in the dark

boy and bull

boy selling flowers

The burning ghats. 200-300 bodies are cremated here every day of the year. They come from all over India as this is the most holiest of places to be cremated if you are Hindu. Women from the family of the deceased are not allowed to visit the ghats during the cremation of their family members. This is to stop the crying and weeping and to keep them from trying to jump on the fire.

The lowest class of people are not allowed to be cremated here. Also, holy men, pregnant women, lepers, snake bite victims and people killed by animals are not cremated. They are tied to flat slabs of stone and sunk in the river.

burning ghats

burning ghats closeup

getting water from the Ganges

Not only do people get water from the Ganges, they bath in it (it is very holy to do this). Along with the bodies and cremated ashes that are deposited in the river, all of the sewage, most of the trash and pretty much everything else that is no longer of use, ends up in the water. And somehow fish survive amongst all of this.

kite flying

light offerings

A group of us from the Kopan course got together and offered 108 floating flower candles as a light offering to the Buddhas of the 3 times, the river and all of the sentient beings everywhere.

floating candles

looking towards the burning ghats

very poor children

very poor child

newly pitched boat

off to see the burning ghats

very old homes

sunrise on the Ganges

typical street in old Varanasi

typical street-alleyway

street view

Cameras were not allowed at the Dalai Lama’s teachings in Sarnath so I was unable to take any. These were some young monks on registration day.

Dalai Lama waving to crowd at Sarnath

I got this photo from the web. There were 6000 people attending. 2000 Tibetans, 2000 monks and  nuns, 600 westerners and 90 registered media people. The rest were from the rest of the world.

Norbulingka Institute Gompa

After 4 days of not seeing the sun I was finally able to get outside without freezing!

The Norbulingka Institute grounds were designed by a Japanese architect and are very peaceful and beautiful. I didn’t see many monks, mainly tourists.

inside gompa

Buddha statue at Norbulingka

prayer wheels at Norbulingka

The Karmapa’s Monastery Complex is in a very beautiful spot and is also peaceful.

I noticed only a few monks while I was there, so I asked one why. He said that during the colder months most monks visit family or go to warmer monasteries. I’ve noticed that most of the monasteries I have visited in Nepal, Ladakh and India, don’t have any heating and aren’t insulated very well.

Karmapa monastery complex

Karmapa monastery

inside gompa at Karmapa complex

wood mandala

This is a “mandala”. This one is a three dimensional representation of the universe. Hand carved, made out of wood and beautiful. I only wish I had a tripod with me, this photo doesn’t do it justice. Most of the mandalas you see are either painted on a flat surface or made out of colored sand on a flat surface.

butter carving of 4 virtuous friends

Yes this is really made out of butter (mixed with something to make it last longer)

older monk at Karmapa monastery

older monk

deformed foot

This horse was outside the entrance to the Karmapa’s monastery. Not sure how well he can walk. 

view from Nadi

view from Nadi 2

view from Karmapa complex

my Tibetan medicine

This is the Tibetan medicine that I have been taking for 7 weeks now. Unlike most western doctors, eastern doctors try to fix the root of the problem. And prescribe natural medicine. It appears to be working for me.

These pills (I take 4 different kinds, 4 times a day) have to be chewed and taken with either hot or cold water. I tell people that they taste like a combination of chalk and incense, although I have never eaten either. I’ve convinced myself that these are made by an assembly line of rabbits. You feed the rabbits what ever ingredients you want, wait awhile and presto…..you have compressed natural pills that are good for you! 

rabbit poop pills

If you are cold…start a fire. Never mind the pipes with wires in them.

Cows have the right of way

almost as old as me

horse power

sand horse power

This is how they make popcorn on the street in this part of the world. First of all you need a hot fire. Then you add some salt (that looks like sand) to the wok looking thing that is hot. Then toss in as much unpopped corn as you like and mix the popcorn with the salt. Cover it with the screen/scoop and wait a few seconds until they start to pop. Then scoop the popcorn out. Easy as that. No added oil but no butter available either. And the popcorn has a little salt flavor to it, not much though. You can also heat up peanuts this way.

how to make popcorn

this is salt, not sand, as I thought it was

the heating pan

hot stuff

vendor at work

hot pot

this draws out moisture and smells good

popcorn for me?

how about a vegetable or some world news?

main intersection in Mcleod Ganj

street view on a slow day

tangerine man

tangerines for you?

when you ask for a toothpick….beware the green worms

dots represent a flight, the rest is either train or car

my luggage

Well it’s Dec. 22 in India now and all of us here in India are still on the same planet. I hope it’s the same for the rest of you. Unless you are now in a pure land, if so, I rejoice for you!

My short stay in Delhi was uneventful until it was time to leave. The train I was supposed to catch was to arrive in Delhi at 9:30 pm and leave at 10:00pm. I had asked the hotel to provide a car and for me to arrive at the station 30 minutes before the train even arrived. I was on time, they weren’t. We arrived at the train station at 9:30pm and they dropped me off. The only problem with this is that it’s the wrong train station and the car had already left. And I’m told (in broken Hindi/English) that it is 30 minutes drive to the correct station if there are no traffic problems! So off I go with my luggage (see above photo) in search of a taxi. Apparently an old man my age had been listening (as all old men do in India) to the ruckus  that had been going on. He had a taxi and would gladly take me to the station for 600 rupees (11 dollars US). I had already paid 800 rupees to the hotel, but never-mind. So off we go, me, my luggage (see photo above) and the gentleman of the same age and his mini van from an age long ago. We are screaming past all sorts of vehicles, well at least the ones that are parked, when I realize that the screaming noise I hear is coming from the transmission. Out of 3 gears he has only 2 and the gear he is in is screammmmmiiinnnggg. After sneaking thru a couple of red lights and a short cut or two, we arrive at the station on the wrong side of the road, which means making a u turn somewhere, somehow. He manages it and stops and points in the direction of the station. Out of the age old mini-van I leap (fall) and grab my luggage (see above photo). I’m stopped by a helpful soul who asks if I need a porter. Yes please, Is my reply and he asks to see my ticket.  Another elderly gentleman my age (we seem to be everywhere) puts all of my luggage (see above photo) on his head,and we are off thru the massive throngs of humanity (thanks Sylvia for the lingo) to the spot where the train will be. On arrival at the spot where the train should be……it’s not here and won’t be for another 2 hours. IT”S LATE! Thank you taxi driver, porter and ticket takers for your help.

Delhi has changed since my last visit 4 years ago. There is more traffic. Most of the traffic signal lights work. The airport work is done for the most part and is very nice. And the price of everything has gone up. In general I think they are good improvements but there is always the very very poor side of humanity that you see everywhere, that I hope can be addressed some day.

I have the same room at the Pema Thang Guest House in McLeod Ganj as I did 4 years ago. It is a Tibetan owned hotel with very friendly staff and a great view of His Holiness’s monastery, the mountains and the valleys.

Old Delhi train station

On the way to Dharamsala

view from my room of the monastery and residence of the Dalai Lama

view from hotel roof of Namgal Monastery where His Holiness lives

view from roof of hotel of Namgal Monastery

view from roof of hotel

Namgal Monastery at sunset

Root Institute for Wisdom Culture

The Kagu monlam is going on at the moment, so there are a lot of monks and nuns in town from around the world. I think that this Karmapa is not from Tibet. It seems there are 2 and there is a huge debate as to who is the real one.

I’m off to Delhi tomorrow for one night. Then I catch an overnight train to Dharamsala where His Holiness lives. I’m told it’s snowing there at the moment. I’ll post again from there when I make it.

prayer wheel & Nagarjuna statue

Buddha after fasting for 6 years

Buddha at Root

Do you know how to use that thing? No, but what’s your hurry, we get paid by the hour!

Mahabodhi Stupa marking the spot where Buddha became enlightened

stupa

Shakyamuni Buddha statue inside stupa

stupa at night 1

stupa at night

monks, nuns and laypeople at stupa

huge incense burner

death stupa, Kushinagar

After 9 hours in a car, 4 wrecks and 10 broke down vehicles blocking the road, I arrived at Root Institute in Bodhgaya. I have been to India before, so I’m aware of how they do things here. But it still amazes me how “anything goes” while on the road. We were on a four lane road (yes there are a few) when we came upon what looked like a very long line of trucks stopped. My driver stopped a vehicle going the other way to ask what was going on. There was a truck scale or stop or something ahead. So we turned around on our side of the road and headed back the way we came going the wrong way. We finally found a place to cross the median, crossed over and proceeded to drive the wrong way for maybe 5 miles! Everybody does this. Trucks, motorcycles, cars, elephants, everyone! And if it’s foggy….you just slow down…a little. Oh, and even if there isn’t a problem on the road and you feel like driving the wrong way, it’s okay. Just flash your lights to let people know you are coming. I saw 2 very bad accidents that still hadn’t been removed from the road and they looked like they had been there for a few days.

And if you break down. Just put a few rocks behind your vehicle and if you can find some twigs, stick them in the side of your truck.

Road work. You can save a ton of money by not using signs, cones or flaggers. I never saw any of these things. And the large bridge we crossed near Patan. One side was closed for most of the way do to a partial collapse. No warning it was closed. Just a couple of 50 gallon drums blocking the road.

old monastery monk “cells”

cremation spot stupas

cremation spot stupa, Kushinagar

Buddha, Kushinagar

Buddha on death bed

2nd century BC stupas, Kushinagar

oops #6

and they stripe some of the roads also

they do pave some of the roads in India (do you see any cones?)

damaged bridge

overall map of India

Lumbini, Kushinagar to Bodhgaya